1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coolers. More specifically, the invention relates to a cooler that includes an umbrella stand mounted thereto, whereby the umbrella mount provides a user with a location to place and maintain an upstanding umbrella.
The beach is often a very relaxing place to visit in the summertime. The combination of the ocean, beach, and the sun bring many people out for vacation or just a day out with the family. However, spending too much time outdoors in direct sunlight is not healthy for one's skin, and people who remain out in the sun for long periods of time may develop issues such as sunburn, heat exhaustion and skin cancer risk.
Knowing all of these concerns, many people attempt to stay cool while on the beach by staying in the shade. Traditionally, users attempt to protect themselves from sun exposure by mounting umbrellas in the sand, which consist of a canopy that is mounted on an upstanding pole. These beach-mountable umbrellas typically resemble conventional umbrellas; however, the poles are modified for insertion into the sand, whereby the pole includes a hollow or a pointed end. Moreover, some of these umbrellas comprise hinged portions that facilitate the angling of the canopy in order to provide shade during the changing sun positioning.
While traditional umbrellas are suitable during situations where there are not many disturbances to the beach sand, these umbrellas have limitations when used in windy weather and in unsupportive sand. In these situations, the umbrella can easily become displaced and lean at an undesired angle. Traditional solutions to these situations include inserting the umbrella pole further into the sand or to configure a way to weigh the umbrella pole down. However, it is quickly discovered that these solutions have their limitations, whereby further insertion of the pole results in having the canopy closer to the sand surface, and the pole often lacks weight bearing structures configured to keep the pole stationary. In order to overcome these setbacks of traditional umbrellas, instead of altering the umbrella, other items that have been brought to the beach have instead been modified in order to add stability to a beach umbrella.
There are several devices in the prior art that attempt to provide stabilization of an umbrella pole while inserted within the beach sand. Some of these devices attempt to provide stabilization by mounting the pole on a beach cooler. These devices either mount the umbrella on the sides of the cooler with brackets or provide an aperture through the center of the cooler for the insertion of an umbrella pole; however, none of these prior art devices address the need for a cooler that provides stability of an umbrella while providing an umbrella-receiving tube that facilitates an additional level of stability by the closure of the pair of hinged doors around the umbrella pole.
The present invention relates to a new and improved cooler that is configured for the reception of an umbrella pole centrally therein. The cooler resembles a traditional cooler, whereby the cooler includes an insulated interior compartment, oversized wheels adapted for use on sand, a handle, and insulating doors; however the cooler of the present invention differs from the prior art coolers, whereby the cooler includes a central aperture adapted for receiving an umbrella pole, and further includes hinged doors that include umbrella pole cutouts adapted for securing around the umbrella positioned within the aperture of the cooler. The present invention facilitates the securement of an umbrella pole by utilizing the weight of a cooler and its contents. Moreover, the insertion tube of the cooler extends from the upper surface to the lower surface, whereby the umbrella pole is capable of extending through the cooler and into the sand in order to provide enhanced stability compared to that of an unsupported umbrella.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to umbrella holders. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to devices comprising exterior attachments onto which an umbrella may be mounted. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device in the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,733 to Sharp, which discloses a cooler with an umbrella attachment configured for supporting an umbrella thereon, whereby the umbrella attachment mechanism includes two hinged rings which are adapted receiving an umbrella pole. The attachment rings may be positioned on the back of the cooler or within a cutout from the back of the cooler. However, while the cooler of Sharp comprises an umbrella pole receiving aperture, it differs from the present invention in that it fails to provide an aperture in the center of the cooler.
Another such device, U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,601 to Jimenez, teaches a cooler and umbrella assembly, whereby the cooler includes a tube on a corner of the cooler for the reception of an umbrella therein. The cooler further comprises a radio, compact disc player, speakers and an bottle opener which provide the cooler with multiple forms of entertainment, whereas the present invention is directed towards a device for holding an umbrella within the center of the cooler instead of directed towards providing a party atmosphere.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0056233 to Flaker describes a recreational cooler, whereby the cooler includes a hollow accessory shaft that extends completely through the cooler from an upper surface to a lower surface. The cooler accessory shaft is sized to receive accessories which may include that of umbrellas, fishing poles, tables, cooking stands, chairs, and basketball stands. The upper surface of the cooler includes multiple hinged compartments, whereby the hinges are positioned near the center of the upper surface. Such hinged positioning teaches away from that of the present invention, whereas the hinges of the present invention are positioned around the perimeter of the cooler, and the hinged doors further comprise cutouts adapted for the reception of an umbrella pole.
Another device, U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,319 to Patarra, discloses a portable cooler with an umbrella, whereby the cooler comprises an umbrella stand located at the wheeled end of the cooler. The wheeled end of the cooler comprises a U-shaped cutout through which the mast of the umbrella is passed through to facilitate stability.
Finally, another device by Patarra, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0013358, describes a cooler with an umbrella mounting means. The mounting means comprises an aperture which extends through the upper surface of the cooler and terminates in an opening in the lower surface of the cooler. The umbrella pole is inserted through the upper surface and extends therethrough until an engaging end within the cooler, thereby holding the umbrella in an upright position. Thereafter an extension member may be attached to the underside of the cooler and inserted into the sand surface in order to provide additional securement.
The embodiments of Patarra disclose devices which facilitate the stability of an umbrella in a beach environment whereby the umbrella is secured within a cooler in either a central location along the cooler or on a side or end portion thereof. While the devices of Patarra may facilitate the task of securing an umbrella in a similar manner as that of the present invention, the prior art is structurally different in that Patarra fails to provide a pair of doors that further secure the umbrella pole when closed therearound. The umbrella pole is positioned within a central aperture in the cooler central portion that extends through both the upper and lower surface of the cooler, which enables the umbrella pole to further be inserted into the sand surface if desired.
The present invention relates to a cooler that is configured for securing an umbrella therein, whereby the cooler includes an aperture that extends therethrough in order to provide additional stability for the umbrella when within the unstable sand. The cooler resembles a conventional cooler in that it includes enlarged wheels, a handle, and surfaces which enclose an insulated interior. However, the present invention further comprises a pair of doors which comprise hinges at the perimeter along the width of the cooler, whereby the doors open at the centerline of the cooler. The doors each further comprise a half-moon shaped cutout, which is adapted to surround an umbrella pole in order to provide additional stability. Overall, the device of the present invention enables a user to secure an umbrella in the sand while shielding a cooler from the sun.
It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing umbrella securement devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.